Wednesday, September 16, 2026

Sunburn — The morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics — 9.16.26 — Burnin’ today: Trump, DeSantis, Donalds & Jolly, Gray & Luna, Crist & Welch, Scott, AI & The Tides


Sunburn — the Florida political news you need to begin your day ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

From: Extensive Media Enterprises

Good Wednesday morning.

Welcome to the world — Congratulations to Maria Rodriguez, digital strategist at MDW Communications and Pembroke Pines City Commissioner, and her husband, Jeremy Batista, on the arrival of their son, Luca Alejandro Batista. Luca made his debut Saturday at Memorial Hospital East in Pembroke Pines. Mom, dad and their beautiful new addition have plenty to celebrate. Welcome to the world, Luca — and congratulations to the entire Rodriguez-Batista family!

Maria Rodriguez and Jeremy Batista welcome Luca Alejandro Batista — already stealing the family spotlight.

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The fight over Amendment 3 is turning into sheriffs versus Realtors — and some of Florida’s best-known badges are stepping in front of the camera.

One week after Florida Realtors launched a $10 million campaign to pass the November property tax amendment, the Florida Sheriffs Association released a 30-second ad warning the measure would drain local budgets and put public safety at risk.

Titled “Wrong Way,” the spot features Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook and other sheriffs delivering a relay-style case against the amendment.

“Everybody wants a tax cut. Heck, we want a tax cut, too,” the ad begins. “But Amendment 3 is the wrong way to do it.”

The Revenue Estimating Conference projects Amendment 3 would reduce local non-school property tax revenue by $4.95 billion in fiscal year 2027-28 and $8.78 billion the following year, before reaching an estimated $11.86 billion in recurring annual losses. The amendment includes no funding to replace that revenue.

FSA turns those figures into a blunt warning: “Fewer deputies. Slower 911. More crime. … That’s not tax relief. That’s a train wreck.”

The ad is aimed directly at the amendment’s soft spot. A University of North Florida poll found support fell from 61% to 45% after voters were told about the projected local budget loss. A James Madison Institute survey found that support fell from 74% to 55% after voters learned about the trade-offs. The amendment needs 60% approval to pass.

“Amendment 3 sounded too good to be true,” the sheriffs say as the ad closes. “Now, you know it is.”

To watch the ad, please click the image below:

Bob Gualtieri, Grady Judd and Michelle Cook give Amendment 3 the sheriff’s-office treatment.

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GrayRobinson has added Matthew Jennings as a senior government affairs adviser on the firm’s Federal Lobbying Team in Washington, D.C.

Jennings brings more than two decades of federal advocacy experience focused on aerospace, transportation and global business, according to the firm. He previously led international and government affairs for Etihad Airways and held senior legislative roles with the International Air Transport Association.

Matthew Jennings brings his aviation and transportation expertise aboard GrayRobinson’s Federal Lobbying Team.

Earlier in his career, Jennings worked on Capitol Hill, including with the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

“Matthew's immersion in the aviation, transportation, and global commerce sectors makes him exactly the kind of advocate our clients need in Washington,” said John Ariale, managing director of GrayRobinson’s Washington office. “He has spent his career transforming complex international and regulatory challenges into solutions and opportunities for airlines, federal agencies, and businesses of every size. Our clients will benefit from that experience from day one.”

The firm said Jennings’ portfolio will include aviation and advanced air mobility, airspace integration, transit, infrastructure, defense, travel and tourism, and technology. His work will involve federal policy and appropriations, regulatory strategy, procurement and funding opportunities, and engagement with Congress and federal agencies.

Jennings will also work with nonprofit and educational organizations on initiatives involving public- and private-sector stakeholders and issues with both domestic and international reach.

  Situational awareness  

—@RealDonaldTrump: Republicans just got another bad decision from the United States Supreme Court, one that the Court System took forever to give, and then blamed it, in part, on no time left to implement a solution to our totally CORRUPT and out of control Mail-In voting “disaster,” which is a laughing stock all over the World, and where we are the only country that has to endure such a Nation Destroying SCAM. Justices (Samuel) Alito and (Clarence) Thomas, legends both, strongly disagreed with this horrible, highly political, ruling. It is a big loss for Republicans, and America itself, and makes cheating by the Radical Left “Dumocrats,” on Mail-In Ballots, a much easier thing to do — And now they have an open field to do so! The Supreme Court has really let our Country down! Certain Justices are petrified of these crazed and depraved Democrats, and are totally unable to show the courage necessary to save our America. Their horrible decision on Tariffs will be costing the U.S.A., for many years to come, Trillions and Trillions of Dollars. They didn’t even state, “money paid does not have to be paid back,” much to the benefit of entities that truly hate our Country, and have been RIPPING IT OFF FOR YEARS, unnecessarily costing us, immediately, Billions of Dollars. Likewise, the Supreme Court’s Decision on Birthright Citizenship is a complete and total disaster for America, and has already led to massive corruption with respect to “citizenship” in our Country. The damage done to America is incalculable, and they know this, just as everyone else does — It is an irreparable and unrecoverable harm! The Court’s inability and unwillingness to do the right thing for our Country will go down, in a very negative way, in the annals of History. This Supreme Court is bullied and cajoled by the Radical Left into making decisions that have set America back at least a hundred years. These are not the people I interviewed to serve on the United States Supreme Court, they are merely a shell of their original selves, a Court that is costing the United States Trillions of Dollars with shockingly bad rulings that are of such magnitude that it won’t be easily possible for our Country to recover or heal. It is a Court that will go down as having rendered some of the most destructive, hurtful, and damaging decisions in our Country’s history. It is not easy for me to write this criticism of the United States Supreme Court — it will likely cost me dearly for years to come — but I feel it my obligation and duty, as President, to do so for the America we love!

—@MarcACaputo: Tangential reminder: Decades of congressional inaction (often rooted in the filibuster) has crippled the legislative branch. With the most-powerful branch of the government nearly impotent, citizens lose faith as the executive gains power. Enjoy your quasi-autocracy, America

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